The person on the five dollar bill is Abraham Lincoln, best known as the 16th President of the United States. Lincoln was at the center of the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, in which 11 states separated from the United States to form the Confederate States of America, also known as the Confederacy. While it seemed like the Union would lose the war at first, Lincoln put his faith in generals that helped the Union win the war. Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address after the Battle of Gettysburg was won by the Union. Additionally, per the thirteenth amendment that Lincoln proposed, slavery was abolished in the Union. Lincoln therefore is significant in American history for freeing slaves and helping the union win the Civil War.
The Balkans are often referred to as the "Powder keg of Europe" because the area saw a number of smaller events that eventually set off much larger ones, leading to World War I. Look at reference.com.
